Now Commenting On:

Wedge grabs manager award

Wedge grabs manager award

CLEVELAND -- The Baseball Writers' Association of America will hand out its American League Manager of the Year Award on Nov. 14, and Tribe skipper Eric Wedge is considered one of the top candidates.

In the meantime, Wedge has been named The Sporting News' AL Manager of the Year.

This distinction actually carries a little more weight with Wedge, given that it's voted on by the 13 other AL managers. Six of them voted for Wedge, with four voting for the Angels' Mike Scioscia, who finished second. The voting took place before the conclusion of the regular season.

"Anytime you're acknowledged by your peers, it's more special than anything else," Wedge said before Game 3 of the AL Championship Series against the Red Sox. "But it's not an individual award. It's a collective award for everybody in that clubhouse, and particularly, the coaching staff, because I rely so much on them and they spend more time with the players than anybody."

In his fifth year at the helm, the 39-year-old Wedge guided the Tribe to a 96-66 regular-season record and a 3-1 victory over the Yankees in the ALDS. This is actually the second time The Sporting News has honored Wedge. In 2002, when he was in charge of the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, Wedge was the magazine's selection as Minor League Manager of the Year.

Wedge wasn't the only member of the Indians to receive some attention from the round of awards.